Which one should you use?
While (język) angielski refers to the name of the language itself, you should use the adverbial phrase po angielsku when you want to say "in English," such as when describing how someone speaks or writes.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form angielski is the masculine singular nominative case, used when referring to the noun język (language). If you wish to express "of English," such as in the phrase "I am learning English" (uczę się angielskiego), you must use the masculine singular genitive form angielskiego.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈjɛw̃.zɘk aŋˈɡjɛl.ski/. The first of four syllables is stressed.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Unlike in English, adjectives derived from nationalities such as angielski are not capitalized in Polish unless they begin a sentence.
Did you know?
- In the context of billiards or pool, the word angielski refers to applying 'English' or side-spin to the ball.
- In Polish, the word język means both 'language' and the physical 'tongue' in one's mouth.
- The Polish term shares an unexpected visual similarity with the word for 'angel', which is anioł, though they are etymologically distinct.
Example sentences for Polish are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Tomasz and Małgorzata are discussing their school classes.
- TomaszMałgorzata, jaki jest twój ulubiony przedmiot?Małgorzata, what is your favorite subject?
- MałgorzataMoim ulubionym przedmiotem jest (język) angielski.My favorite subject is English.
- TomaszNaprawdę? Ja go nie lubię.Really? I don't like it.
- MałgorzataPomogę ci, jeśli chcesz.I will help you if you want.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “english” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (język, angielski) and can differ in connected speech.
